HOW TO FIND GREAT BOOKS FOR YOUR KIDS

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #75 – December 18, 2010

A few years ago, I had the privilege of coaching a team of fourth-grade teachers in a public school setting. I was constantly looking for cool resources to help spark students’ interest in reading. It was during this quest I came upon the California Young Reader Medal.

Each year, schools across the state are asked to send in nominations of the best book they’ve read during the year. The nominees are sorted and counted and narrowed down to the top five (in the primary category) and the top three in the other age group categories. Teachers at each school that would like to participate, read all three books to the class and then the students vote for their favorite book. The ballots are sent in and in this way, the winner of the medal is actually chosen by the students themselves!

Here are some more details about the contest:

NOMINATE!
Children, young adults, educators, librarians, parents, or anyone who works with young people and books may recommend titles. This recommendation process may take place in the classroom or may reflect work with children and young adults in a library. California Young

Reader Medal recommended titles must reflect what young people like to read.
Grade level categories are:

* Primary (K-2nd grades)
* Intermediate (3rd-5th grades)
* Middle School/Junior High (6th-8th grades)
* Young Adult (9th-12th grades)
* Picture Books for Older Readers (All Ages)

Criteria for Nomination:
* Must have strong appeal for the age group for which the recommendation is made.
* Often read or requested by children and young adults.
* Published within the previous four years and still in print.
* Written by an author who is still living.
* An original work of fiction available in the English language.

I found this to be an excellent way to find really good books for children of all ages to read. Here are this year’s nominees for all grade levels except Young Adult (high school).( I personally could not recommend the books in the Young Adult category due to the subject matter of one or all of them). Feel free to check out the California Young Reader Medal website to see these nominations and also the nominations of past years. In my humble opinion, over 90% of all the nominated books are excellent reads!

http://californiayoungreadermedal.org/

Primary Category
A Visitor for Bear by Bonnie Becker. Candlewick Press, 2008.
Pete and Pickles by Berkeley Breathed. Philomel, 2008.
Duck by Randy Cecil. Candlewick Press, 2008.
Martina the Beautiful Cockroach by Carmen Deedy. Peachtree Publications, 2008.
Thelonius Monster's Sky-High Fly Pie by Judy Sierra. Knopf, 2006.

Intermediate Category
Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke. The Chicken House, 2007.
Greetings from Planet Earth by Barbara Kerley. Scholastic Press, 2007.
Zorgamazoo by Robert Paul Weston. Razorbill, 2008

Middle School Category
Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis. Scholastic, 2007.
Cracker: the Best Dog in Vietnam by Cynthia Kadohota. Atheneum, 2007.
Skulduggery Pleasant: Scepter of the Ancients, Book 1 by Derek Landy. The Bowen Press, 2007.

Picture Book for Older Readers
Moon Over Star by Diana Aston. Dial, 2008.
John Paul George & Ben by Lane Smith. Hyperion Books, 2006.
Four Feet, Two Sandals by Karen Williams. Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2007.

You can also “Google” the book by title and find a short summary to learn the basic content of the story. Books are excellent gifts for any occasion. Happy hunting and Happy Holidays to you all!

The things I want to know are in books. My best friend is the man who’ll get me a book I haven’t read. Abraham Lincoln